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Topic: Feeding splits and swarms (Read 1223 times)

Well, despite the weather lately, which is making me CRAZY! we ended up catching 3 swarms in addition to the 2 splits I made the last 2 weeks of April. One went to a friends yard, one is waiting to go to a friends yard and one will (hopefully) be installed in the learning garden of a city park! (YAY). In the meantime I have 4 baby hives in my yard in addition to the 3 established. Yikes!

Everything I read says "Feed, feed feed" swarms and splits. But these bees will not take it! I have put 1:1 on each of them and they take it so slowly (1/2 a jar in a week) that it begins to mold in the jar. I hate to keep wasting the sugar.

So. . . . 1. Should I keep putting the feed on them? and 2. If it gets a film of mold on the jar, should I remove it or can the bees handle it? Should i make a stronger blend?

The flow seems to still be going strong even though the rain has kept them in some. We are waiting to see if they start laying. If it keeps raining on the weekends, i'm going to have to take some vacation days in order to check them properly!!

Everything you have read said to feed until they stop taking it. You aren't paying attention. They have stopped taking it, so stop feeding.

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Ouch, Iddee! :'( Some of it just says "Feed feed feed - -they are going to need a lot of help" . But you and Kathy are right. I did kinda figure, but sometimes a girl needs some reassurance! /pout ;)

And Scott - Hippy bee caught 2 of them while I was at work! He had so much fun, and I was jealous. He doesn't dance but he does yell "SWAAAARRRMM!!" a- la "GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" in soccer. :D

ST I haven't pulled them yet. Do you think the mold will hurt the bees? (tho since they aren't really taking it, I guess not.)

And thanks Bassman! I kept telling myself that, but then would read another article or post . . . a couple of them never took it at all. If the sun would just keep shining here, I think we could have a great honey crop!

I love you guys! You make everything seem so easy. When just 30 minutes ago it was agonizing!

if you have a good flow and they are bringing stuff in, don't worry about it. you know the drill. give them a good week to settle in and then check for stores and eggs. ;)

and see if you can post some pics. i missed all of your adventures at buds.

Logged

.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I am very new at this and I am talking about a pkg not a nuc or a split. I got my pkg on the 20th of April and since they have to build all the foundation I have been feeding ever since and they are still taking it. I was going to stop but with our weather being so messed up I didn't.

I will probably add the next brood chamber this weekend so I will probably keep feeding. I think the tulip poplar flow is about done but sweet privet hasn't started and I just saw the honeysuckle just starting. I do worry about the queen running out of room but I am trying my best to only go in once a week.

Like you I am having trouble deciding whether to stop feeding or keep on. I know the needs of raising brood are great and my queen is laying like mad. If the flow stops and they run out of stores they could get into trouble.

This is driving me crazy. But I love it too.

Like Michael I am scared that the feeding will make my pkg swarm when they have no business doing so. The balancing act is crazy.

I am very new at this and I am talking about a pkg not a nuc or a split. I got my pkg on the 20th of April and since they have to build all the foundation I have been feeding ever since and they are still taking it. I was going to stop but with our weather being so messed up I didn't.

I will probably add the next brood chamber this weekend so I will probably keep feeding. I think the tulip poplar flow is about done but sweet privet hasn't started and I just saw the honeysuckle just starting. I do worry about the queen running out of room but I am trying my best to only go in once a week.

Like you I am having trouble deciding whether to stop feeding or keep on. I know the needs of raising brood are great and my queen is laying like mad. If the flow stops and they run out of stores they could get into trouble.

This is driving me crazy. But I love it too.

Like Michael I am scared that the feeding will make my pkg swarm when they have no business doing so. The balancing act is crazy.

David

is the feeding crazy or a feeder, but something is crazy. ...But as he says: I you love it too.Don't let anybody stop your love. May it be forever. Only swarming can separate you from your package. .